Democratic Gov. John Baldacci of Maine is term-limited out of the governor’s office next year. Who should run in his place? And who will the GOP nominate here?
Feel free to dig deep.
54 thoughts on “ME-Gov: Statewide Recruitment Thread”
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should be the Democratic nominee. But he might face a primary challenge from Mike Michaud.
As for the Republicans, there bench strength is really weak. I don’t know anyone who they could run. The two most prominent statewide pols in that state, Snowe and Collins, are safely in their Senate seats and would not want to put them at risk.
State Senator Peter Mills. He would probably defeat Baldacci if moderate vote wasn’t split in 2006, and, as a result, an ultraconservative Woodcock was nominated. Even Baldacci and even with centrist Independent and Green running was able to defeat him
Tom Allen is probably the best bet.
One complicating factor is that Maine has no statewide elected officials other than the Governor or Senator. There is no Lt-Governor and the Attorney General, et. al. are sppointed positions.
Democrats control both houses of the state legislature. The state house speaker for the upcoming session will be Hannah Pingree, presumably Chellie’s daughter. Beth Edmonds is the current Senate President. She might be a possible candidate.
He left a seat he could have kept for thirty years to take on a popular incumbent senator; the guy put it on the line, and he’d be a good governor.
Allen lost and lost very big, by much more then predicted. He represented half of Maine as a congressman and lost by 22% nevertheless. He is very liberal (Maine as a state is liberal-leaning, but not VERY liberal). He tried for Governor once and lost primary. So i am not sure he will not lose to any decent Republican
Martha Stewart, we lose Arnold in 2010 and it would be a shame to not have a high-profile celeb in a statehouse! Plus, you would have to love someone convicted of insider-training running a state!
But on a serious note, Tom Allen would probably be our best bet though he got his ass kicked by a woman, that was the inevitable result, and with even a slightly better campaign will garner a win against anybody whose last names are not Snowe or Collins
A real star power match. Stephen King vs Daddy Bush.
King was born in Maine and is a known Democrat and Daddy Bush has a vacation home there. How about that?
Also, this is off topic but there is no open thread. Former Delaware Lt. Governor John Carney is running for “federal office” in 2010. This either means he’s going to run against the son of the VPOUSA which would be a suicide mission or take on Mike Castle which would be a top pickup opportunity. Carney for House!
I wouldn’t read much into his disasterous campaign against Collins this year. Snowe and Collins are just two Senators we never had a realistic shot at beating. Allen’s favorables have always been high, it was just that Collins were even higher. Allen should be favored over anyone the GOP can put against him in an open Maine Governor’s race.